Democratic Republic of Kasmar
HEAVY WIP The Republic of Kasmar '(French: ''République du Kasmar), officially the 'Democratic Republic of Kasmar '(French: République Démocratique du Kasmar), is a Mediterranean state comprised out of islands in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The two main islands account for up to 98% of the republic's land size. Corsica and Sardinia are the two of the ten provinces. The Republic's capital is the city of Isle de Kanos, located off the north-western shores of Sardinia. Ajaccio also forms a third province - the Capital Territory. The country is often simply just called "Kasmar" by the local population. '''History Corsica, also known as Corsica, is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, just off the coast of Southern France. It is has been occupied continuously since the Mesolithic era, first discovered by the Greeks. It acquired an indigenous population that was influential in the Mediterranean during its long prehistory. It also is the main producer of agricultural goods in Kasmar. Just south of Corsica is the island of Sardinia, also known as Sardinia. Controlled by the Italians for much of it's time, the island sits off the western coast of Italy. The island is home to the country's manufacturing industry, as well as a major shipping hub. Formation of the Republic of Kasmar In 1924, a bloody uprising in Corsica and the resulting coup d’etat forced the regional government out of power, much to the alarm of the French. The revolting population, led by a mysterious figure known by the name of "Kasmar," declared independence from France. Outraged, the French government declared war on the people of Corsica, sparking a five year campaign in an attempt to recapture the island. However, the aftermath of World War One severely hampered reactions due to the state of France's economy. While each attempt saw further and further successful territorial claims, the collapse of the American stock market severely impeded efforts to retake the island. The beginning of the Great Depression heavily contributed to the French withdrawal of the island. The campaign to retake the island was declared a failure and the French retreated from the island. Thus, the Republic of Corsica was formed. However, it was renamed to the Republic of Kasmar shortly after by popular vote. Annexation of Sardinia In the late 1930s, the island of Sardinia was forcibly annexed by Corsica, forming the Republic of Kasmar. The Republic was heavily denounced by foreign nations. Foreign intervention was minimal and the Great Depression lessened chances of retaliation from the Italians. World War II The start of World War II in Europe jump-started the war machines. Shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Axis powers invaded the islands, led by the Italians. Their forces ruthlessly took over both islands in a short amount of time, leaving no time for the Republic to act. Germany landed in Corsica while the Italians landed in Eastern Sardinia. Resistance to the invasion was quickly smoothered by the enactment of naval blockades. Mass starvation and civil unrest ensued. The invading forces attempted to commandeer the Republic's naval forces. However, many of the Kasmarian naval officers, proud of their nationalistic views, scuttled the ships in their arsenal. The few ships the Axis powers managed to capture proved to be of little use. As the war began to pick up, many of it's citizens were forced into military service by both the Germans and Italians. Any resistance at home was suppressed heavily and soon national morale was broken as many lost faith in ever regaining independence. Underground resistance movements attempted to boost morale secretly by spreading news of the Allies' victories. One particular news piece that inspired a revamped resistance movement was the British victory during the Battle of Britain. Even with the morale-boosting news, the resistance movement was seemingly inactive. This belief was soon exposed to be false in July of 1943 as the resistance began executing plans, sabotaging and destroying fuel depots, munition storage, communication centers, and other strategic emplacements. News of the Allies landing in Sardinia caused violent riots and increased resistance activity in Corsica. By New Years, both Corsica and Sardinia were freed from Axis control. The resistance aided Allies and joined them in their push into mainland Europe, but not before securing their homeland. Following the end of World War II, the citizens of Kasmar were left standing in the rubble of their former capital, Calagary. The city of Ajaccio became the de facto capital, due to the fact that it had been relatively unscathed throughout the war. Cold War to Fall of the Soviet Union Like many economies post-World War II, Kasmar's economy was in ruins, with many of it's industry and agricultural producers destroyed during both the Axis and Allies landings. By 1948, only a fraction of it's former GDP was revived, with improvements and repairs being slowed by the lack of materials and funding. Much to the dismay of Kasmarians, they were excluded from the Marshall Plan. Political unrest grew, flooding the country at a rapidly expanding rate. Today, historians note that the prominent economic inequality is a major contributing factor to the Communist Party's rise to power in the government. By the end of the year, protests began breaking out at the lack of foreign aid and government action. In what is known as the "Kasmar Revolt," the Communist Party took the opportunity to overthrow the government from within, quickly forming a new one and renaming the country to the Soviet Republic of Kasmar. In closed talks with the Soviet Union, the new government managed to secure funding for the rebuilding of the war-torn nation, causing approval ratings to sky rocket. With funding secured, materials began to be imported from the USSR and the economic recovery slowly began to take off. By the end of the 60's, Kasmar's GDP far surpassed their former GDP, however the growth slowed down, limited by the Molotov-type economic plan the government had secured in 1949. The country remained stable and peaceful until the 1990s. Early '90s to 2010 The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 caused little disruption to the general public. The government, however, was thrown into chaos. The loss of the Soviet Union complicated the economic downturn the country was facing as well as lost political power. By 1994, the economical and political instability of the issue reared it's head as the largest public bank closed it's door and declared bankruptcy. The economy dove sharply and details of corruption linked to the bankruptcy were leaked. Riots and protests broke out across the country as a result. Surveys and research conducted during the time by independent groups showed that the approval rating dropped from a 68% to close to 30%. The research also showed a decrease in wealth for the common people, leaving the politicians as the most unaffected by the economic situation. In response to the unrest, the government censored the media and closed it's borders. This greatly exacerbated the economic issues the country was facing. As protests and riots grew in severity, the government responded by cracking down on protests and opposition leaders hard, executing and imprisoning hundreds. Fueled by outrage, in 1998, the government was toppled as the military turned on the government and aided the populous in forcing the Communist Party out of power. The coup d'etat gave way to the breakout of a civil war between the Communists, Fascists, and the Progressives. The military remained out of the conflict, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of those fighting. In 1999, the military announced the establishment of the Constitution of 1999. The leaders of the Fascists and Progressive convened with the commander of the military and over the course of two years, established a temporary government. The military, backed by the Fascist and Progressive forces, pushed into the The civil war ended when the territory under the Fascists and Progressives were called to vote. The 2000 Elections brought hard-line anti-Communists Richard Calron as President and Alex Faalon as Prime Minister. The landmark election was marked by the President over-reaching his powers within his first 100 days, attempting to take on a few domestic polices. Calron took on the role of dismantling the Communist standing within the government, as well as destroying many statues of Communist leaders. The initial response by the Kasmarian legislation was reluctant, with little action being taken. Following wide-spread criticism both domestically and internationally, both the Senate and Commons instated powerless legislature. Unsatisfied by the reaction, a lawsuit was filed in 2003. Orion v. Kasmar was quickly taken to the Supreme Court and the Courts deemed the enacted legislation to be unlawful and that government action be taken to prevent future oversteps of power. For the remainder of his presidency, Calron heavily influnced Faalon's anti-Communist legislation, further bolstered by the support of the Commons. In the elections of 2008, Calron and Faalon lost to the more moderate PLACEHOLDER of the Democratic Progressive party. However, shortly after entering power, the 2008 financial crisis caused unemployment rates to skyrocket and the economy free fall even further. Government approval ratings plummeted. Against advice from economists, MINISTER2 proposed a bill to lower taxes and increase government spending in a desperate attempt to kickstart economic growth. The bill also proposed to rollback Calron's anti-welfare legislation. In a separate bill, he proposed to introduce a welfare system to combat the rising poverty levels. With support from their party and the president, both bills became legislation and the Department of Kasmarian Welfare was created. The social welfare legislation was met with criticism by the opposing parties and accused both the president and prime minister of being communists. The public, however, greeted the legislation with caution. In June 2009, while the bills were being finalized, anti-Communist separatists, caused chaos across the Capital Territory. However, this did little to stop the bills from passing, merely only stalling them. PRESIDENT2 and MINISTER2 denounced the attacks, calling the perpetrators cowardly and promising that they will pay for carrying out the attacks. In the following months, police and military presence was heavy across the nation's major cities, only winding down as 2010 came to a close. Post-2010 Shortly after their re-election, both PRESIDENT2 and MINISTER2 were killed in the 2011 Governmental Assassinations. Their deaths shook the nation to their core. August 24th was declared a national holiday, as well as three days of national mourning. Secretary of State Angela Montgomery and DemPro leader Killian Ryan took office temporary until the Elections of 2013. Grant Macmillan and Alice Kléber of the Moderation Party took office, as president and prime minister respectively. On July 9, 2017, President Macmillan announced that Kasmar would being joining the Eurasian Pact, alongside the Eastern Roman Republic, the Republic of Sumatra, and the Union of Bavaria. The announcement coincided with the signing of the document, headed by Secretary of State Markus Bernard. Macmillan was unable to attend due to pressing issues relating to budgeting. Geography Kasmar's location in the Mediterranean Sea makes it a prime location for tourism and trade. The islands' natural harbors allow for cheap construction of ports with minimum change to the harbor floor. The coast of both islands is a prime attraction for tourists, as is the massive natural reserve located on Corsica. Corsica The island of Corsica, also known as Corse, consists of mountainous terrain, as well as extensive forests. The island is a prime location for agriculture. It is the most mountainous island in the Mediterranean, a "mountain in the sea". It is also the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily, Sardinia and Cyprus. It is 183 kilometres (114 mi) long at longest, 83 kilometres (52 mi) wide at widest, has 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of coastline, more than 200 beaches, and is very mountainous, with Monte Cinto as the highest peak at 2,706 metres (8,878 ft) and around 120 other summits of more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Mountains comprise two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Forests make up 20% of the island. About 3,500 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi) of the total surface area of 8,680 km2 (3,350 sq mi) is dedicated to nature reserves (Parc naturel régional de Corse), mainly in the interior. Corsica contains the GR20, one of Europe's most notable hiking trails. The island is 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Tuscany in Italy and 170 kilometres (110 mi) from the Côte d'Azur in France. It is separated from Sardinia to the south by the Strait of Bonifacio, which is a minimum of 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) wide. Sardinia Sardinia, also known as Sardegna, is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus), with an area of 24,100 square kilometres (9,305 sq mi). To the west of Sardinia is the Sea of Sardinia, a unit of the Mediterranean Sea; to Sardinia's east is the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is also an element of the Mediterranean Sea. The nearest land masses are the island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia, the Balearic Islands, and Provence. The Tyrrhenian Sea portion of the Mediterranean Sea is directly to the east of Sardinia between the Sardinian east coast and the west coast of the Italian mainland peninsula. The Strait of Bonifacio is directly north of Sardinia and separates Corsica from Sardinia. The coasts of Sardinia (1,849 kilometres (1,149 miles) long) are generally high and rocky, with long, relatively straight stretches of coastline, many outstanding headlands, a few wide, deep bays, rias, many inlets and with various smaller islands off the coast. Disclaimer: the information about Sardinia and Corsica have been copied from their respective Wikipedia articles. Political Structure Throughout much of it's history, Kasmar has been a democratic system of government. Although the levels of democracy have changed greatly through the years, today, the Democratic Republic of Kasmar is a democratic republic. The current political system is a bicameral legislature, semi-presidential federal republic. The government of Kasmar is formed by three branches: the executive branch, the legislature, and the courts. Executive Branch The executive branch is split into two parts: the President and the Prime Minister. The president is the figure-head of the country and mainly handles foreign and military policies. The prime minister on the other hand handles the domestic and economic policies. Both president and prime minister serve four year terms. As of now, there are no term limits on the presidency or for the prime minister. While the president is voted in by the people, the prime minister is attached to the president's vote and is voted in by the political party. In the event of the death of the President, the State Director will take their place. If the prime minister dies, then a selected party member will take their place. Replacements hold those positions until the next election date. Legislative Branch The legislature is formed of two houses: the Senate (upper chamber) and the Commons (lower chamber). The Senate is formed of fifty senators while the Commons is currently formed of 374 representatives. The Senate has equal representation, with each of the ten provinces getting five senators. Though significantly smaller than the Commons, the Senate wields just as much power as the lower house. The Commons, on the contrary, is divided based on population. Currently, Southern Sardinia has the largest amount of representatives due to being a major population center, with the Capital Territory coming in second. The legislature is run on a proportional voting system. As a result, both the Commons and Senate often represents the majority party, as well as less gridlock in the government. Judicial Branch The Kasmarian court system is set up in a similar manner to the American court system. However, unlike American courts, the Kasmarian courts hold a bit more firm power, thus making them a force to be reckoned with when it comes to laws. The federal courts mainly handle appeals, but the Supreme Court handles many controversial cases, such as gay marriage, equal rights, and the constitutionality of laws. The Supreme Court is headed by seven judges, all appointed for life. Economy The economy of Kasmar is heavily reliant on the manufacturing industry of Sardinia, as well as the tourism industry of both islands. Sardinia's manufacturing industry represents a little over a fourth of the national GDP. Agricultural exports, mainly from Corsica, represents a small fraction of GDP, only accounting for 3.7% of the GDP. Much of Kasmar's economy focuses on tourism, which forms up to 67% of the GDP, with the remaining percentage being made up of other industries such as real estate, commercial services, finance and information, utilities, and technical services. Trade Kasmar currently has no active trade agreements with other nations. Sardinia is the heart of industry while Corsica is the agricultural heart. Tourism Tourism is a strong point in the national economy, accounting for a little over half of the GDP. The Department of Tourism actively advertises the natural beauty of both islands, including the national forests, hiking trails, beaches, and more. The Mediterranean weather is also a strong point in the advertisement campaigns of the Department of Tourism. 'Infrastructure' The infrastructure of Kasmar was severely damaged during the civil war. The Calron Administration ordered the repair and construction of infrastructure, with the Infrastructure Restoration Act focusing on things such as education, electricity, water production and treatment, and roads. Armed Forces of Kasmar Kasmar's military is formed of mostly Soviet-Era equipment. Since it's violent return to a democratic government, not much attention was given to the military, with only enough funding to maintain the equipment. Up until President Macmillan took office along side Prime Minister Kléber, previous leaders focused their attention on removing corrupted officials from office, as well as "de-communizing" the country. Macmillan is currently proposing a modernization program for the military, mainly for the navy and air force. Such proposals have been greeted warmly by the populous and opposing parties have been heavily criticized by both civilians and the majority party, seeing opposition to the military modernization as "un-nationalistic." FOLLOWING NUMBERS ARE NOT FINALIZED - SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Army The Army, like the other four branches of the military, use equipment built during the Soviet-Era. Infantry are equipped with AK-47s and the mechanized forces are comprised of T-72s and other vehicles. Navy The Kasmarian navy is formed of many Soviet-Era ships. It is currently classified as a "green-water navy." Unlike the other branches, the naval branch is to be allocated the least amount of money for modernization, though many Senators have pointed out that the navy is source of much of the republic's political power. Air Force The Kasmarian Air Force is currently formed of a handful of Soviet-Era aircraft, mainly Sukhoi's Su-25s and Su-27s, Mikoyan MiG-29s, and Ilyushin Il-76s. The air force is currently slated to be allocated the most amount of money. The air force is also in charge of keeping the presidential aircraft, known as Kodiak, prepared and maintained. Miscellaneous * Department of Research and Development - Established in 2003, the Department of Research and Development is dedicated to producing mostly military hardware. As of recent, little has come out of the endeavors. Alliances and Relations Relations Alliances and Treaties * N/A List of Important Events Click here for a more details on each event * June 2009 Attacks: The June 2009 Attacks was a series of terrorist attacks carried out by extremist groups. The attacks kill 124 people and injured a further 284. About $14.2 million worth of property was damaged. * 2011 Governmental Assassinations: '''The 2011 Assassinations was two assassinations carried out by extremist groups on August 24. PRESIDENT2 and MINISTER2 were targeted and killed. Thirteen people were killed and forty injured during MINISTER2's assassination. Secretary of State Angela Montgomery and DemPro leader Killian Ryan took office temporary until the Elections of 2013. '''Gallery ' Gm flatgrass classic0025.jpg|''Kasmarian GIGN surveying the ransacked office belonging to a high-standing official. Breach.jpg|''Kasmarian GIGN preparing to breach a building where violent rioters are holed up.'' ''' Category:Factions Category:V6 Factions